FDL County Board Votes Against Including Referendum On November Ballot

The Fond du Lac County Board Tuesday night voted down placing an advisory referendum on health care on the November 4th ballot. The vote was 14 to 8 against. The referendum would have asked voters whether the state should accept Medicaid dollars from the federal government for the expansion of the BadgerCare program. Some supervisors felt the question and timing of the referendum with the governor’s election in November were politically motivated. Supervisor Martin Schroeder told the board the question before them was whether or not to place the referendum before voters and allow them to have their say.  He said it wasn’t about discussing the merits of whether the referendum should pass. Dr. Robert Newton of Brandon told supervisors health care access is a real problem in this country. He says barriers to access to health care are the main reason the country does a poor job preventing illness and disease. According to information presented to the board the federal funds would bring $34.8 million into the local economy by 2021 and would help 1,209 parents and childless adults in the County access BadgerCare.